Roasted Butternut Squash Panini

Although pumpkin gets most of the attention every fall, we cannot forget about the butternut squash. Sure, maybe it’s not as flashy as the pumpkin. And you can’t really make jack-o-lanterns with them (well, maybe you could, but your kids would hate you). But butternut squash is a little bit easier to deal with when it comes to cooking. Butternut squash fries are the perfect side for a veggie burger and butternut squash soup? Amazing!

As I was going through our archives to decide which recipes to republish this December, I felt a little pang when I landed upon this one. The recipe was inspired by a sandwich I ordered at Sandwhich, one of my favorite restaurants in Chapel Hill — and earlier this fall, my husband and I moved from North Carolina back to the Chicago area, which means no more Sandwhich sandwiches! (If you’re the type who notices such things, this cross-country move is one of the reasons for the abbreviated posting schedule this month — we moved to a rental here while waiting for our house in Raleigh to sell; once it did, we bought a house here and it needs a lot of work before we move in. So yeah, there’s been a lot of craziness and change and big things happening lately.)

Even if we did have access to Sandwhich deliciousness here in Illinois, I haven’t seen this Roasted Butternut Squash Panini on the menu in a while, so having a recipe for it on hand is kind of vital. It’s really that good. There’s not that much to it — just some roasted butternut, fresh mozzarella, sage and a good sturdy bread — but when you put it all together, it’s pretty magical.

This December, we’re republishing updated recipes from Oh My Veggies’ first year. This post was originally published on October 18, 2011.

Brush the butternut squash slices with olive oil and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake 40-45 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown on edges, turning halfway through cooking time.

Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Divide the squash, mozzarella, and sage evenly onto the non-oiled sides of 4 bread slices. Top with remaining slices of bread and grill until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

I have a Griddler–I love it because it’s more than just a panini maker. You can use it as a griddle, as a grill, and as a panini press. I always find myself pining for the specialty stuff (like the mini-donut makers!), but when I get them, I never use them!

I’m a bit obsessed with butternut squash. I would have never thought to put it inside of a panini. That’s awesome! I want to thank you for stopping by and leaving such an encouraging comment. I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t have thought of it either had we not gone to that restaurant in Chapel Hill. 😉

I had to comment on your post because I feel the exact same way. I just started a new blog and I felt like it was time for me to finally focus on blogging–I’ve been working 2 part-time jobs (such is the life of someone with a master’s degree in library & information science) and I cut my hours on the one I hated to make time for the new blog. I was so excited about it! And then two days later I got an offer to do freelance taxonomy for a company I’ve worked with in the past and with the holidays coming up, I felt like I couldn’t say no to the money. It’s funny that you mentioned having the wind taken out of your sails in your post because that’s the exact phrase I used when describing how I felt to my husband. So now I’m in a frantic state again trying to balance everything, trying to find time for what I love in between the time I spend on two jobs I feel ambivalent about.

Well, I grew up in the US and I just discovered butternut squash too! It wasn’t something my mom ever made–I think I tried it for the first time about 4 years ago. I don’t know what prompted me to buy it, but it’s one of my favorite veggies now. 🙂

Aw, thank you! After being a vegetarian for 18 years now, I’ve gotten bored of a lot of the standard vegetarian fare (veggie lasagna, meatless chili–I’m sure you know what I mean!), so I try to post things that are different. Sometimes I feel like people visit my blog and think all my recipes are so weird, but when I get positive responses from other vegetarians I know I’m on the right track! 🙂

It looks beautiful, though I’m not yet sure about it. I’ve never tried butternut with mozzarella…I may have to test it. And I didn’t know you could make fries with it. I’ll be doing that. We have a ton of butternut squash right now.

Well, mozzarella is a pretty mild cheese (especially the fresh stuff), so it goes well. I think parmesan would be really good too because I’ve made some pasta dishes with roasted butternut squash & parm and they are always so yummy, so you could sub that in instead if you’re skeptical. 🙂 And butternut squash fries are SO GOOD! You roast them in the oven & you can play up the sweetness by adding nutmeg and/or cinnamon or do more savory fries by adding cumin or chili powder.

What a wonderful-looking recipe! Adding butternut squash to a sandwich is such a creative idea, and I bet it goes so well with all that melted mozzarella. I’m also based in Chicago and would love to see a better variety of sandwich shops here!

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Oh, hello! Welcome to Oh My Veggies, a vegetarian food blog with a focus on easy recipes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. We're all about unfussy, delicious meals that anyone can make. When your food tastes good, you focus on what's on your plate, not what's missing from it! About Oh My Veggies

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